Chapter 22

“By the way, did you look into that favor I mentioned?”

“The situation with the Duke’s household is still complicated, so nothing there yet. But as for the artists, that’s all taken care of.”

As soon as Alice climbed into the carriage, she handed me an envelope she’d tucked away in the corner.

Inside was a neatly compiled list of all the painters currently working in the capital.

“As you asked, I focused mainly on young painters who’ve only just made their debut, but honestly, I think it’s a bit reckless.”

“Is that so?”

I replied absentmindedly, scanning through the list.

“I thought a fresh perspective could be interesting.”

“It’s only interesting if the work turns out well and they deliver on time.”

Alice let out a deep sigh and continued.

“What are you going to do if the painting doesn’t turn out well, or worse, isn’t finished on time?”

It was a valid point. If things went wrong, it would be like handing more ammunition to those waiting for a reason to tear me down.

But still…

“You’re not wrong, sister, but established painters are unlikely to accept my commission in the first place.”

Even as the Duke of Arvan’s fiancée, my reputation was far from sterling. In addition, there were still plenty of factions hostile to me, especially those loyal to Diego.

“I’d rather take a risk than grovel before people like that.”

When I said that, Alice seemed to realize there was no talking me out of it, and fell silent for a moment.

“…Fine. Since when could I stop you anyway?”

Deep down, she was probably hoping I’d discover a remarkable new artist and set high society abuzz with something truly novel.

‘And that’s exactly what I intend to do.’

From the list Alice had given me, I’d already decided which painter I would commission for my portrait. After all, since I’d ended up inside a book, it only made sense to befriend someone who was still unknown now but would become famous later and claim my advantage early.

“But what are you planning to do about your fiancé?”

“I thought we’d finished discussing that.”

“Finished? How is it done? Nothing’s been resolved.”

I had done my best to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Alice was nothing if not persistent.

“I know this might sound childish, but I just find that man unsettling. I get a bad feeling about him.”

It was an intuition befitting the story’s original female lead.

“You asked me to look into the Duke’s household because you’re uneasy about it, too, didn’t you?”

“That’s…”

I was still searching for a response when the carriage came to a stop. The coachman’s voice called out that we’d arrived, and I quickly got to my feet.

“Let’s continue this conversation after our fitting.”

Since it wasn’t the kind of conversation we wanted anyone else overhearing, Alice nodded her agreement without protest.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

The atelier, famed as the capital’s most prestigious, was usually alive with the voices of young noble ladies, but today, it was unusually quiet. Given that Diego’s sudden announcement of a banquet had filled the reservation books of nearly every atelier in the city, it was no small feat to find such peace.

“Lady Leonia Bellasi, Lady Alice Bellasi. Thank you for choosing our atelier again.”

Not only was the head designer present, whom I’d met several times before, but even the director of the atelier was waiting to greet us.

“Do you have any preferred colors or styles?”

No sooner had we settled onto the sofa than a series of catalogs featuring the latest fashions was laid out neatly on the table.

“As you may already know, green has been the most popular color for dresses recently.”

“As expected.”

I gave a casual nod.

If I recall correctly, green dresses became the height of fashion about a year or two ago, after Count Green discovered a new dye. Count Green, a nobleman friendly with Diego, had a history of causing scandals with him back when I was still his fiancée. More than once, I’d even witnessed them brazenly exchanging kisses right in front of me.

‘So there’s simply no way I will wear something made fashionable by Count Green.’

It would only give people more reason to gossip about me, and I had no desire to draw his attention.

“We’ll be skipping green.”

Alice cut in before I could speak. Judging by the irritated look in her eyes, it seemed she was thinking of Count Green as well.

I likewise set aside the catalogs of green dresses and reached for the next selection.

“Personally, I think something in the purple family would suit me best.”

It wasn’t as if this was my first debut in society, and being engaged already, I thought it best to simply choose a dress that matched my eye color.

“In that case, we’ll bring out both pale and deep shades of violet for you to consider.”

Time passed quickly as I examined the raw fabrics to compare the colors and then looked over sample dresses to combine different designs.

“Um… Excuse me, do you happen to need a portrait?”

While I was in the middle of choosing a design for my wedding dress, a young girl suddenly approached and spoke up.

“I work quickly. If you like, I could finish it in as little as two days…”

The girl who had spoken had fair skin and a neat bob haircut. From her faint accent, I guessed she was from the northern provinces of the Empire.

“Anna!”

Just then, an employee rushed over, face pale, and grabbed the girl by the arm.

“I’m so sorry, so terribly sorry. She’s only just started working here and must have forgotten her place.”

The staff member gave the girl, Anna, a gentle nudge, and she bowed her head in apology.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t offended or anything.”

When I accepted the apology without making a fuss, the employee visibly relaxed and led Anna off to the corner. I pretended not to notice, but my eyes followed the two of them as they left.